Anna's Hummingbird, new to northern Ontario - updated Nov 10

What a great autumn, bird-wise, for the Thunder Bay District! A few weeks ago a Slaty-backed Gull was added to the district (and Northern Ontario) list(s). Now comes the discovery of an Anna's Hummingbird, a first for northern Ontario, and a second for the province, visiting a feeder in Thunder Bay. More details, from OntBirds here.

Dec. 3, 2013. Courtesy of Glenn Stronks.

Dec. 5, 2013. Courtesy of Glenn Coady.

The first provincial record of Anna's Hummingbird was documented for October 25-30, 2010, in Essex County.

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Dec. 10 update: The Anna's Hummingbird has not been seen in several days, following the onset sub-30 C temperatures. Apparently the bird was present for months (15 September - 7 December)

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Acknowledgements: Many thanks to Sophie and Gary Wiggins for sharing their sighting and also to the Glenns, Stronks and Coady, for sharing their photos.

White-eyed Vireo strays to Manitouwadge

Tammie Hache of Manitouwadge, at the east end of the Thunder Bay District, found a very unusual passerine in her yard today (November 10th, 2013). Tammie wrote:

I discovered this beautiful little bird in my backyard today. I sadly thought it was a window strike casualty when I found it on the ground half tucked under the last piece of siding on the garage but when I picked it up, it blinked at me. :) It has incredibly beautiful eyes!

November 10, 2013. Courtesy of Tammie Hache

This is only the fourth occurrence of White-eyed Vireo in northern Ontario. All have been in the T-Bay District: Marathon, Thunder Cape and Rossport, all between Sept. 29 and Oct 21. Definitely a pattern of fall vagrancy here. This is likely the northernmost record for Ontario. Thanks for sharing the sighting Tammie!

A moment to appreciate the Pine Grosbeak

There's a decent movement of Pine Grosbeaks along the north shore this week. We have a dozen or so visting our feeders. Along the Lake Superior coast, they can be seen and heard flying northwest on most days.

Last year we had a bumper crop of Mountain-Ash fruit and we enjoyed an abundance of Pine Grosbeaks through the winter. This year during our drought, very little fruit was set and all of that has been eaten. I'll be surprised if any Pine Grosbeaks remain here for the winter.

The first photo was taken today - I've never noticed pink in the wing bars before. The others are older. What a beautiful creature...

Three northern darners

The mosaic darners, genus Aeshna, are of course the large, conspicuous dragonflies that fly, sometimes in impressive swarms, throughout the Ontario summer. Of the one dozen species found in Ontario, eight are known from the Thunder Bay District. Of these, three - the Sedge, Zigzag and Subarctic - have distinctly northern affinities and are among the less commonly seen species in our region.

All three seem to be flying right now in the Marathon area. During the last half of July I crossed paths with Sedge and Zigzag Darners at sites where I'd found them previously. The Subarctic Darner, a lifer for me a few weeks ago, has been observed only a handful of times in NW Ontario and it wasn't one I expected to find so close to home.

Here's a quick overview of the trio with some habitat and locality notes.

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Sedge Darner (Aeshna juncea)
Date: July 15, 2012.
Habitat: Breeds in rock/splash pools along the rocky Lake Superior shore. It's also commonly found in shore fens and sedge-fringed beach swales along the coast where, I suspect, it breeds as well.

Sedge Darner locality and habitat.

Locality: Rock pools at Ypres Point, Peninsula Harbour, Lake Superior (48.73619, -86.43059). I netted and released males and females at this site and observed mature nymphs foraging in the deeper pools.

Male Sedge Darner, July 15, 2012

Female Sedge Darner, July 15, 2012

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Zigzag Darner (Aeshna sitchensis)
Date: July 27, 2012.
Habitat: Nutrient poor, often open fens and bogs.

Zigzag Darner locality and habitat.

Locality: Open fen at low-lying centre of peatland west of the Prairie River at Hyw 17 (48.80185, -86.78627). Last September at the end of the flight season, I blogged about my first encounter with the species at this site. I returned this month and found many patrolling males, copulating pairs and a few ovipositing females.

Male Zigzag Darner, July 27, 2012.

Mating Zigzags, July 27, 2012.

Female Zigzag Darner, July 27, 2012.

Male Zigzag Darner, September 17, 2011.

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Subarctic Darner (Aeshna subarctica)
Date: July 23, 2012.
Habitat: Nutrient poor, often open fens and bogs.

Subarctic Darner locality and habitat.

Locality: In the Town of Marathon, along the dirt road leading to Shack Lake (48.74482, -86.35753). The female in these photos is my first and only Subarctic Darner to date. I assume that she emerged from the nearby bog-fringed shore of Shack Lake. On July 29th, Sue Bryan netted a male from a bog mat on Harvais Lake, near Dorion.

Female Subarctic Darner, July 23, 2012.

Male Subarctic Darner. July 29, 2012. Courtesy of Michael Bryan.

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A really great source of information about these and other boreal odes is Dragonflies and Damselflies in the hand: An identification guide to boreal forest odonates in Saskatchewan and adjacent regions. This slim, attractive volume is available from Saskatchewan Nature.

Full citation: Hutchings, G. and D. Halstead. 2011. Dragonflies and Damselflies in the hand: An identification guide to boreal forest odonates in Saskatchewan and adjacent Regions. Special Publication #29. Nature Saskatchewan, Regina.

Carolina Wren in Marathon!

After nearly two weeks away in southern Ontario, we awoke this morning to the songs and calls of a Carolina Wren in our back yard. I recorded some of the vocalizations.

So far I've watched the bird fly back and forth among our trees and shrubs but I haven't been able to grab any stills. I'll post photos if I can get any.

The species has been seen before here in Marathon - on October 8, 1988 - by our friend Stan Phippen. I know of only one other report from the Thunder Bay District, interestingly, also in early August - [6 Aug 1957] by Paul Harrington, 25 km east of Longlac.

[update] Alan Wormington adds the following (thanks Alan):

We all saw that Carolina Wren in 1988, since it was found during a scheduled OFO trip to Lake Superior. 

There are two additional records of Carolina Wren for Thunder Bay District, but apparently both were not documented and submitted to OBRC. They were at Mackenzie Beach (December 2005) and Thunder Bay (December 2006/January 2007). A bit surprising that Thunder Cape has apparently never had one!

A few sights from Hurkett Cove

En route to Thunder Bay this morning, I stopped in at Hurkett Cove Conservation Area hoping to see some early southbound shorebirds. I wasn't disappointed. Nearby were two Caspian Terns, four Bonaparte's Gulls. And baby turtles are always nice...

[click on images to enlarge]

Red Saddlebags update - breeding near Lake Superior.

Another quick note....on the Google Discussion Group Ont-Odes there is an evolving discussion about an unprecedented movement of Saddlebags (Tramea spp.) into Ontario this year. The appearance of the Red Saddlebags (T. onusta) on the north shore - a first - attests to the geographic breadth of the event.

This morning while walking our dog near a beaver pond in Marathon, I observed and subsequently netted a male Red Saddlebags. I photographed and released the individual and spent a few minutes watching the other odes present - Common Green Darner (2); Four-spotted Skimmer (20+); Twelve-spotted Skimmer (2); Chalk-fronted Corporal (9); Belted Whiteface (50+).

[click on images to enlarge]

Male Red Saddlebags. Marathon. July 5, 2012.

Five "red" saddlebags, two tandem pairs and single male, then appeared in the middle of the pond and the two females began ovipositing, both in tandem and while a male hover guarded. Wow!

Tramea, Marathon, July 5, 2012

The photos are admittedly poor but through binoculars I discerned the larger clear window in the hind wings of the three males, a characteristic of Red Saddlebags (T. onusta) and not the lookalike Carolina Saddlebags (T. carolina) which we haven't yet seen here in northern Ontario.

The beaver pond (48.73231, -86.38441) is about 200 m. at its widest and is no more than 2 m deep. The bottom is covered in a thick mat of Chara. This is the same site where I observed Common Green Darners laying eggs - a District first - in May of 2010. Its close proximity to the Lake Superior shore may contribute to its attractiveness to migrant skimmers and darners.

Update photo:

July 10, 2012. Marathon, ON.

July 18 addendum: Our sharp-eyed neighbours in nearby Michigan have taken note of the influx of these and several other libellulid species. Those with an interest in this phenomenon will enjoy Mark O'Brien's and Julie Craves' overview, Rare and uncommon saddlebags, wandering meadowhawks, and gliders galore and its significance to the Michigan Odonata Atlas project.

New to the Thunder Bay District...the Red Saddlebags

'Just a quick note as we pack up for a weekend excursion. A few days ago I caught a glimpse of a fast-flying mostly-red Tramea along the Pic River, just east of Marathon. I was intrigued as this southern genus is scarcely known from northern Ontario. In the Thunder Bay District we have but two records of a single species, the Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata).

Today while I was searching for orchids in the lee of the Horseshoe Bay dunes at Pukaskwa N.P. (48.59249, -86.29847), I again encountered mostly-red saddlebags on the wing...awesome! Even better, I had a net at hand and two individuals were low and slow.

I know very little about these exotic skimmers. I have tentatively ID'd them as Red Saddlebags (Tramea onusta), a new species to the Thunder Bay District...but I could be mistaken.

Pukaskwa N.P. June 29, 2012

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Related: New to the Thunder Bay District...the Spot-wing Glider (with notes on the Wandering Glider).

A few godwits

Godwits are passing through NW Ontario this week. On May 28, Greg Stroud found a Marbled and Hudsonian Godwit together, gorging on earthworms on a flooded ball diamond in the town of Nipigon. I had a chance to observe the pair yesterday (May 29th). It was a real treat to be able to compare the two species in breeding plumage, at close range.

[click on images to enlarge]

Town of Nipigon. May 29, 2012.

Yesterday (again, May 29th) I found a lone Hudsonian Godwit at Penn Lake Park in the Town of Marathon.

Town of Marathon. May 29, 2012.

The Checklist of the Birds of Thunder Bay District lists Hudsonian Godwit as a casual species (reported in three to seven of the last ten years).

Meadowhawks in May in Marathon??!!

I was watching a dozen or so Common Green Darners cruising, mating and oviposting on a smallish beaver pond in town this afternoon when I flushed a reddish meadowhawk from the shore - very strange for May. I encountered two more reddish males nearby.

[click on images to enlarge]

Typically I don't see any meadowhawks until well into summer when adults emerge from ephemeral pools, ponds and lakes. Of course these weren't the typical resident meadowhawks. They were Variegated Maeadowhawks (Sympetrum corruptum) - highly migratory members of the genus who likely arrived from the south in recent days (along with legions of butterflies). I returned later and netted one to confirm the ID - a new species to me.

The Thunder Bay Field Naturalists' Odonata checklist notes only two previous occurrences of the species: a 1939 record at Silver Islet and a 2003 teneral at the Wolf River mouth.

The only other ode I've seen on the wing is the Common Green Darner - conspicuous anywhere along the north shore these days. Here's a male I saw near the mouth of the Pic River on May 17.

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May 19th Update: We found more Variegated Meadowhawks in Pic River and beside rocky splash pools along Lake Superior today so I guess it's official, we've been invaded.

Mid-May rare bird round-up for the Thunder Bay District

Some great birds have been spotted over the last week. Here are a few highlights, most of which were reported to the NWObirds email list.

• May 16th. John Schelling was birding at Chippewa Park in Thunder Bay in an area where he'd seen a male Scarlet Tanager earlier in the week. He caught sight of a duller, female tanager high up in the canopy. His photos revealed a very nice Summer Tanager, perhaps the 12th record for the Thunder Bay District.

[click on images to enlarge]

May 16th. Photos courtesy of John Schelling.

• May 15th. Somewhat out of range for the North Shore was a Brown Thrasher singing from an alder thicket at Peninsula Harbour in Marathon. 

May 15th. Town of Marathon.

• May 12th. Laurie McCollum, one of the operators of McCollum's Reflection Lake Resort at the south end of Lake Nipigon, had his camera set up on a tripod as he awaited the arrival of a regular flock of American Goldfinches. His preparedness paid off when a stunning male Painted Bunting landed on the feeder. The bird was seen up until the 14h. This is perhaps the fifth record for the District.

May 14th. Photo courtesy of Laurie McCollum.

• May 12th. Bob Ellis (who hosted a Painted Bunting in July of 2011) had a European Goldfinch visit his feeder in the Town of Marathon. It was in the company of a flock of Pine Siskins.

• May 11th-17th. John Woodcock reported a busier week of banding at Thunder Cape involving 338 individuals of 43 species. A highlight was a Golden-winged Warbler. 

• May 8th. Jon Pleizier submitted to eBird an excellent description of a Franklin's Gull flying past the observation platform at the south end Manito Miikana (Spirit) Trail in Pukaskwa National Park. This is a new species for the park and one of only a handful of sightings for the Thunder Bay District.

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Thanks to Bob Ellis, Laurie McCollum, John Pleizier, Brian Ratcliff, John Schelling and John Woodcock for sharing reports and photos of their sightings.

Blue Grosbeak in MacDiarmid - May 12th update

Harold and Agnes Michon photographed this Blue Grosbeak at their MacDiarmid feeders on May 9. These feeders, set up beside the entrance to the community's post office, also hosted a Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch last winter and in May of 2007, a Lazuli Bunting.
[click on image to enlarge]

Photo courtesy of Harold and Agnes Michon

All of the previous Blue Grosbeaks seen in the Thunder Bay District arrived in May:

• May 21, 1989 - Rossport 
• May 3, 1994 - Thunder Cape 
• May 22-23, 2007 - Longlac 
• May 12-18, 2008 - Squaw Bay 
• May 19-20, 2009 - Thunder Cape 
• May 31 - June 1, 2011 - Thunder Cape 

Thanks to the Michons for sharing their sighting and photo!

May 12, 2012 Update: 

The Blue Grosbeak in MacDiarmid was not re-sighted yesterday. Interestingly, two more BLGR's were reported from eastern Ontario yesterday (May 11) - one from Presqu'ile P.P. (Northumberland Co.) and another from Goderich (Huron Co.).

Calling Boreal Chorus Frogs

We heard choruses of Boreal Chorus Frogs along the Superior Coast between Marathon and Neys Provincial Park this week. Here's one minute of audio from typical breeding habitat in Marathon.

Snowy Owl in Terrace Bay

Snowy owls are much easier to spot at this time of year. This one was seen today at the defunct Terrace Bay airport/dragstrip today.

It's worth noting that this location is a must-stop for birders passing through the north shore. Situated right beside the TCH, just a little bit east of Terrace Bay, it ceased to operate as an airport some years ago and it now sees very limited use as a dragstrip each august. Birdwise, it offers the best piece of pseudo-tundra in the region and so is attractive to Rough-legged Hawks, Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs that have just passed over vast stretches of boreal forest or rocky coastline.

Gulls at the Marathon landfill

I did a quick swing through the Marathon Landfill this afternoon. There were about 300 gulls present although there was lots of turnover during my 20 minute stay. There were no Ring-billed Gulls yet. I enjoyed up-close views of four Glaucous Gulls and my first Great Black-backed Gull for the Thunder Bay District.

Glaucous Gulls, first and second year?

Glaucous Gull, adult.

Great Black-backed Gull, third year.

Otherwise, I haven't noticed any new arrivals. The flock of finches visiting out backyard feeders has diminished to about 90 birds comprised of Common and Hoary Redpolls, Pine Siskins, Purple Finch and Evening Grosbeaks.

Heron Bay Lynx

Stan Nabigon encountered this trio of Canadian Lynx beside Highway 627, south of Heron Bay, north of Pukaskwa National Park, this afternoon.

Thanks for sharing your photos Stan!

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch roundup: March 6, 2012 update

With reports of multiple Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches showing up north of Lake Superior, I thought I'd keep a running tally for the greater Great Lakes region. Some of the following is cribbed from earlier blog postings. I will update this with new sightings and status changes of known birds.

March 6th update: The 'Interior' GCRF, first report on March 4th at a feeder in Tug Hill, Lewis Co., New York, continues to be seen, providing the second ever record for the species in that state (photos here). Alternatively, this may be the same NY bird that was seen in the Catskills, some 150 km. away on Dec. 22 (ht to Alan Wormington).

This brings to 10 the total for Ontario and neighbouring jurisdictions for the current fall-winter season (MN: 1; MB: 3; ON: 4; NY: 2). Eight of these birds were discovered at feeders. The remaining two were encountered and briefly observed in the field under more natural circumstances.

Winnipeg, MB. Feb 13. Courtesy of Garry Budyk.

Here's the listing, starting with the most recently found Ontario birds:

• Jan. 24, 2012 - Feb. 23, 2012. Rossport, Thunder Bay District, ON. Seen at two neighbouring feeders operated by Marco Tremblay and Gord Smith.  Now, an irregular visitor at Gord Smith's. [Nominate tephrocotis or interior subspecies.]



Rossport, Thunder Bay Dist. Courtesy of Gord Smith.



Rossport, Thunder Bay Dist. Courtesy of Gord Smith.



Rossport, Thunder Bay Dist. Jan. 24, 2012. Courtesy of Marco Tremblay.

• Jan. 10, 2012 - Feb. 9, 2012. Rocky Bay - MacDiarmid, Thunder Bay District, ON. Visiting feeder of Agnes and Harold Michon. [Nominate tephrocotis or interior subspecies.]



MacDiarmid, ON. Thunder Bay Dist. Jan. 23, 2012. Courtesy of Greg Stroud.

• Jan. 4 - Jan. 5. 2012. Geraldton, Thunder Bay District, ON. Visiting feeder of Terry and Alain Saindon. [Hepburn's littoralis or coastal subspecies.]



Geraldton, Thunder Bay Dist. Jan. 4, 2012. Courtesy of Terry Saindon.

• Nov. 22 - Nov 26, 2011. Lappe/Stepstone, Thunder Bay District, ON. Visiting feeder of  Gene Kideres and Barbara Horth. More photos and description here. [Hepburn's littoralis or coastal subspecies.]



Lappe. Thunder Bay Dist. Nov. 24, 2011. Courtesy of James Barber.

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From neighbouring regions:

• March 4 - March 8, 2012. New York's second of the winter was photographed at a feeder in Tug Hill, Lewis Co., New York. [Nominate tephrocotis or interior subspecies.]
• Feb. 19 - March 6, 2012. Manitoba's third GCRF was first spotted in the company of Evening Grosbeaks by Wybo Vanderschuit about 5 km north of Erickson, MB. [Nominate tephrocotis or interior subspecies.]
• Jan. 29 - Feb. 17, 2012. Manitoba's second GCRF of the winter is visiting a feeder in Charleswood (Winnipeg). Again, Christian Artuso obtained and shared on his blog some excellent additional photos, taken Feb. 8. [Hepburn's littoralis or coastal subspecies.]



Winnipeg, MB. Feb. 4, 2012. Courtesy of Katharine Schulz.

• Jan. 1(?) - Feb. 1, 2012. Manitoba's first GCRF of the season had been attending a feeder in December but wasn't positively identified until Jan 1. As of Feb. 1 the bird was continuing to be a daily visitor, much to the pleasure of many Manitoba birders. Christian Artuso has posted some excellent photos (taken Jan. 15) on his blog. [Nominate tephrocotis or interior subspecies.]



Kenton, MB, Jan. 2012. Courtesy of Carole and Murray Sangster.

• Dec. 22, 2011. High up in the Catskills, a hiker photographed a Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch. This represents the first documented record for New York State. [Nominate tephrocotis or interior subspecies.]
• Oct. 27, 2011. Bear Island Lake, St. Louis Co., MN (about 150 km west of Thunder Bay, ON). Seen briefly on a beach in the company of Snow Buntings by Deb Falkowski. [Nominate tephrocotis or interior subspecies.]



St. Louis Co., MN. Oct. 27, 2011. Courtesy of Deb Falkowski.

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• And while we're talking about recent records of the species, it's worth noting that on March 16, 2011, a Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch stunned itself against a window in Nobel, Parry Sound District, Ontario. Fortunately Edie Outram-Verite took a photo before the bird recovered and flew away. It wasn't seen again. This will be the 16th documented occurrence for the province and one of very few sightings outside of NW Ontario. [Nominate tephrocotis or interior subspecies.]

Nobel, Parry Sound Dist. March 16, 2011. Courtesy of Edie Outram-Verite.

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More about identifiable GCRF subspecies, from an earlier posting.

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Acknowledgements: Many thanks to the following people who shared their photos or reports: James Barber, Garry Budyk, Deb Falkowski, Agnes and Harold Michon, Edie Outram-Verite, Brian Ratcliff, Terry and Alain Saindon, Carole and Murray Sangster, Katharine Schulz, Gord Smith, Greg Stroud and Marco Tremblay.